Improvement in boiler-feeders and low-water detectors



iinttd gnent @anni @titille JOHN L. STARKEY, 0F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

.Letters Patent Nol 109,149, dated November 8,1870.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom/it may concern.

Be it known that I, JOHN L. STARKEY, of the city and county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented'eertain new and useful Improvements in Boiler-Feeders and Low-water Detectors; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which represents a' front view of my improved boiler-fecder and low-water detector.

To enable those skilled in' the art to which mylinvention belongs to `make and usc the same, 1 will proceed to describe it more in detail. l

The nature of my invention consists in an improved boiler-feeder and low-water detector, the parts oi' which are eonstructedand combined as hereinafter explained.

The part marked A in the drawing represents the bed-plate, which is to be secured tothe boiler, or to some suitable support Y l veulent. f

Upon the front of the bed A are arranged two parallel horizontal pipes, l5 and (l, which are firmly scoured at one cud in couplings D D, attached to the bed" A, while their other ends B1 and C are supported loosely in the 'bearings E IC' on the head-piece A oi' the bed.-

A vertical pipe, l?, is arranged across the bed A, the upper end of which, l1", is connected with the' boiler, to admit steannand the lower end, F, is connected with the boiler below the water-level, to admit water, so that the water in the pipe `l1` will stand at the same level as the water in the boiler.

Branch pipes Gand ll project horizontally li'om the vertical pipe F, and are joined to the ends ot' the pipes B and C, at the couplings l) D', by vertical lengths G1 H1, as shown. v

The-ends Bl C' ofthe pipes 'll U are also connected to the vertical pipe F bythe branches I and J, which latter form their junction with the pipeF, at some distance below the junction ofthe branch H.

Stop-cocks G2,H2,11,and J are arranged on tho branches G, H, I, and J', so, that either ot them can be shut oit when desired. yThe ends 13' and G* ot the pipes B and C are closed, and each is providml with an adjusting-screw, as indicated.

Supported on the head-block A ol" the bed A is an alarln-whistle, K, connected with the boiler by the pipe K, through which it is supplied with steam. Below the whistle is arranged a spring stop-valve, K2, the spindle ot' which projects outwardI toward the screw (J2-by means of which the valve is operated. j The pipe L from the boiler to the water-supply pump is also supported ou the head-block A, andis provided with a spring stop-valve, M, the spindle M' of which is acted upon by the levcrN, one end of adjacent thereto, as most con said lever N is fulerumed at N upon a projecting portion of the head-block, while its other end extends n p past the valve-spindle M', as shown in the drawing.

Thclever N passes through and is pivoted inthe slotted head of the screw B2 in the end of' the horizontal pipe 13.

The instrument should b e set at such a height that the water-line in the boiler will -be level with the branch-pipe G.

The operation is as follows:

Should thc water fall below the level of the branch G, the steam passes through said branch into the horizontal pipe li, which is caused to expand by the increased heat, and it being firmly secured at the coupling 1), the whole force of expansion acts at the end B1, and throws forward the lever Nagainst the valvespindle lll', thereby opening the valveM, and letting on the steam, which sets the pump into operation. The pump continues to operate until the water in the .boiler rises `above the level of the branch-pipe G, thereby shutting the steam out of said branch.'

lhe steam in the pipe B then condenses, forming a vacuum, whereby the water is drawn up into said pipe, which is immediately cooled, and, consequently, con' tracts and draws back the lever N from the valvespindle M. The lever M is then closed by the force ol" the steam on lthe ba'ck of the valve, and the coiled spring n1y on the valve-spindle, thus stopping the pump, and discontinuing the supply ol' water until it again i'nlls below the level of the branch G, when the operation is repeated.

Should the feeder or pump, from any cause, refuse to operate, and the water in the boiler fall below the level ot' the branch-pipe l', which is placed at the sale lowwatcr line, the steam will enter the pipe C, and in a similar manner canse it to expand and open the valve ligand sound the alarm-whistle K, which will continue to sound until the boiler is supplied with water, or the pressure ol' steam exhausted, when the cooling and contracting ofthe pipe U relieves the`prcssure on the valve-spindle, and the valve closes by the action ot the steam and the coiled spring 7:.

By arranging the valves ligand M, so that the pressure of the steamI is exerted on the back ot the valve, they are rendered much more sure in their action, and the closing springs m and 7c can be made niuch lighter.

The action oi' the expanding pipes B and C upon the valves can be easily regulated by turning in orout the znljusting-scrcws B2 and C?, first removing the lever N from the head of the screw B2.

ily arranging the valve M in the position shown, it is brought into close proximity to the'boiler, so that the steam has no chance to condense and fill the pipo L with waiter, as is the case where a. long line of pipe is required for the pump, :unl the valve is urranged nein the pump in the, ordinary manner.

The water necessarily has to be forced out through the steznn-eylinderoi` the pump, and ofteneuuses much annoyance by retardingr the action ot' the pump.

l t will be observed that by Closing the cocks G2 and l, the low-waterulurm een be used without the feeder, or by closing the cocks ll2 :1nd J', the feeder can :done be used. Y

Hoving thus described my improved steam-boiler feeder and low-water detector,

Vhztt I claim therein as new and of my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The relative arrangement of the valve M iu the pump-pipe Il, with the lever N und expanding-pipe of which are constructed and combined substantially as shown :md described.

J. L. STARKEY.

Witnesses Tues. H. DODGE, A. F. PErRCE. 

